Wyldling
Wyldlings are a race of plantlike humanoids that grow from the earth in secluded, untouched virgin lands. They are born of the essence of nature and creation, a distillation of that untouched terrain. While rare, they are not uncommon in forest- or jungle-lands that are largely unspoiled by other races. The wyldlings are nature’s protectors, being born of the world’s need for defense. When nature’s enemies ravage her gifts, the wyldlings blossom and grow to protect her. Wyldlings come from an ancestry of elvish origin. When the Upheaval occurred, one of the forces that was released was the force of nature, once held by the ancient god Qualitash and stolen by the Enemy for thousands of years. When the power of nature was freed those closest to nature, the wild elves, were reshaped by the raw energy, becoming wyldlings and forming the first knots, communities of wyldlings, around great trees that arose in the untainted forests of the world. Personality A PC wyldling is often newly-grown, still seeking its purpose. They can be grown anywhere, even in harsh climates, though they tend most often to be found in temperate forests. While they do form natural cities in some deeply wild regions, they are also often found in solitude, possibly wandering the world to eliminate blights against the natural order. Lost wyldlings wander looking for community, sometimes finding kinship with other adventurers. Physical Description A wildling is a humanoid creature, standing nearly as tall as a man, seemingly made of bark, vines, and foliage. They are of a kind demeanor, with the facial appearance faintly reminiscent of fey-like ancestry. They vary greatly in appearance, as wild as nature itself. Males and females are of the same height, usually between five and a half to six and a half feet, though males usually weigh somewhat more than females, averaging between 120 and 200 lbs as opposed to the females’ 100 to 150 lbs. They range the colors of all plant life, including brilliantly colored violets, blues, reds, and yellows, though tend toward shades of green and brown. Their ‘hair’ grows as leaves and branches and long, twisting vines. Their flesh is odd and disconcerting, typically being rough like bark over most of their bodies. Some even grow spiny briars that protrude from them in places. Their eyes vary and the irises can be of nearly any color, though their sclera and pupils are always dark-colored. Wyldlings grow to adulthood at 1 year old, and typically live up to 600 years old, though wyldlings over a century old tend to become more stationary and plant-like. Relations Wyldlings see the differing races like a newborn seeing people for the first time, though colored with the knowledge of them imparted by their knot, or community. They are less familiar with races that do not frequent forested areas, such as dwarves and gnomes. A wildling might want to stroke a dwarf’s beard and compliment him on his fine fur. Because of their heritage, wyldlings feel a kinship with elvish races, and the elves in return feel almost protective of wyldlings and often live among them as ambassadors and liasons with other races, helping to protect what they see as one of nature’s rarest gifts. Wyldlings are mistrustful, sometimes downright afraid of, humans, having been on the receiving end of their encroachment for years. It is not uncommon for wyldlings to attempt to hide their existence from humans, and even those with human blood such as half-elves and half-orcs. Alignment They tend to be good and neutral in practice. The average wyldling is Neutral Good in alignment, though their communities typically have a more neutral outlook in general by necessity. Wyldling Lands When a wyldling is first flowered, they sprout from the ground, growing in an undefiled location far from the eyes of other creatures. They are immediately the size of an adolescent, growing to maturity quickly over the course of a single year. Once they have sprouted, the adolescent wildling instinctively knows its way to the nearest knot, or collective home of wyldlings. They live in communities grown from their natural surroundings, using druidic magic to shape and weave the natural environment to suit their needs. Their homes are well defended and surprisingly well-camouflaged. Without knowing what one is looking for, a wyldling knot could completely elude a passerby. The wyldlings are thought to draw their collective knowledge and wisdom directly from nature itself. At the heart of each knot is almost always some form of exaggerated living tree. This is known as the Dreaming Tree, their most sacred spot in the community. It is believed that the tree has some divine powers, granting the wyldlings spells and imparting knowledge about the surrounding environs. Should a Dreaming Tree ever be killed, all of the wildling connected to the knot are stricken with a profound sadness. They disband the knot, allowing the site to return to its natural state. They will seek out other knots and feel lost until they find another community. Many lost wyldlings become adventurers. Fallen wyldlings are allowed to lie where they fall, quickly composting into nurturing mulch. Other races find this practice abhorrent, but the wyldlings see this as completely natural. All things return to the world. Religion Wyldlings do not serve gods as a general practice, rather they serve nature itself. Should a wyldling become lost, it is certainly possible that they could come to follow some nature- or elemental-oriented deity, or even deities of general goodness. Language Wyldlings speak sylvan, the language of nature and the fey. It is filled with sounds that imitate those you might find in nature itself, such as soft hisses like wind through reeds, quick babbling of a mountain brook, and the slow creaking of tree limbs. Names Wyldlings have little identity of self, and their names reflect that of their duties and function, or perhaps their physical appearance for those who haven’t found their purpose yet, as opposed to any personal effect. Also, no role is limited to either gender; wyldlings have complete equality. In addition, though many share the same name, the collective wyldling never seem to have any problem distinguishing among one another, having a collective knowledge shared amongst themselves in that regard. Those few that leave their knots and become adventurers tend to eventually take names and find self-identity. They find elvish or sylvan sounding names pleasing. Male and Female: Digger, Elf-trader, Forager, Groomer, Grower, Hunter, Knot-ward, Lorekeeper, Orc-bleeder, Plant-shaper, Skinner, Tender, Tree-herder, Waterer, Weapon-maker, Weeder. Adventurers Wyldlings rarely leave their knots, but might do so if the knot has great need of some resource or aid that it cannot procure itself. Lost wyldlings and newborns are the most common adventurers, and then mostly because they have found companionship with other adventurers, with whom they happily travel. Wyldling Racial Traits *+2 Con, +2 Wis. Wyldlings are vigorous and full of life, as well as being recipients of the world’s wisdom. *'Plant Type:' Wyldlings have the Plant type with the humanoid subtype. As a plant creature, wyldlings have low-light vision, immunity to mind-affecting effects (including morale effects, even positive ones), immunity to paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning. Also as plants, they breathe and eat, but do not sleep. Wyldlings are subject to critical hits and sneak attacks, unlike other plant type creatures. Wyldlings gain no further benefits from their type. *'Medium-Size:' Wyldlings gain no special bonuses or penalties for size. *'Speed:' Wyldling base land speed is 30 ft. *'Nature Magic:' Wyldling, and only wyldlings, may be druids. *'Wyldborn:' Wyldlings gain four free feats upon character creation. These must all be chosen from feats in the Wyldling category. The wyldling can select Wyldling feats anytime he meets the prerequisites instead of any normal or bonus feat he can select (unless the source of the feat specifies that it must come from specific feat categories). *'Plant-Speaker (Sp):' A wyldling with a Wisdom of at least 12 may use the speak with plants spell as a spell-like ability at will. *'Tree Shape (Sp):' Once per day a wyldling with a Wisdom of at least 12 may use the tree shape spell as a spell-like ability with an unlimited duration. *'Fire Vulnerability:' Wyldlings are vulnerable to fire and flames, taking an extra +50% damage from such attacks (round up). *'Weak to Cold:' As the winter slows the growth of trees, it also tires and weakens wyldlings. If a wyldling suffers cold damage, it withers and wilts, needing to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ damage suffered). Failure means the wyldling is staggered for 1 round. *'Skill Training:' Knowledge (nature) and Survival are always considered class skills for wyldlings. If a wyldling’s class already has either of these skills as a class skill, he instead gains a +1 competence bonus in that skill. *'Languages:' Common and sylvan. *'Favored Class:' Druid. 5e Wyldling Racial Traits * Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution and Wisdom scores both increase by 1. * Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Nature Magic: You gain the Magic Initiate (druid) feat for free. * Plantform: You have resistance to cold damage and vulnerability to fire damage. You can shapechange into one of the following forms as your action: dryad, myconid adult, shambling mound (requires 6th level), and treant (requires 11th level). You can maintain the form for up to 1 hour. You must complete a long rest in order to be able to shapeshift into a plantform again. You can shapeshift back into your normal form when you choose to as your action. While in a plantform you retain your Intelligence score, take the other ability scores of the new form, lose all traits and abilities reliant on your normal physical form, and gain the traits and abilities of your new form. * Wyldborn: You are proficient with the Nature and Survival skills. Additionally you may Navigate, Track, or Forage while traveling without giving up noticing threats and while traveling at a fast pace without a penalty. * Languages: You speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Sylvan is filled with sounds that imitate those you might find in nature itself, such as soft hisses like wind through reeds, quick babbling of a mountain brook, and the slow creaking of tree limbs. Category:Races